


After All This Time

by sunsetrose20



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:40:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23264119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetrose20/pseuds/sunsetrose20
Summary: While Loki is still a child, Laufey demands Odin return him to Jötunheimr. Odin complies. When Loki returns to Asgard, he is a newly crowned king fulfilling his duties. Thor, for reasons unknown, does not realize Jötunheimr's king was once his brother.
Relationships: Loki/Thor (Marvel)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 132





	After All This Time

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts, ideas, comments, and constructive criticism are always welcome.

Golden Asgard, with its walls gleaming in the sunlight, was a sight for sore eyes. Literally.

He blinked furiously as he stepped onto the Bifröst. His eyes, having been subjected to the eternal winter of Jötunheimr for centuries, could barely stand the scorching sun. By the Norns, it was burning his retinas, but he supposed he had always been picky about weather conditions and… conditions in general.

Loki didn't think his fellow Jötnar would be too happy with him if he tried to raise a hand to cover his eyes. They were easily offended, much too easily, Loki thought, by anything they perceived as an attempt by Loki to hide his Jötunn heritage or that could be translated to shame of it. They were a proud people and stoicism was something to be prized, something that Jötunheimr’s late rulers had drilled into him.

The late rulers that had insisted he come to pay his respects to Asgard’s king. Alright, Loki would admit they didn't insist on him coming to Asgard but on his ascension to the throne, and that to Loki was pretty much the same thing. He had fought tooth and nail for his freedom, but the crown had eventually been passed down to him. Not to Býleistr, not to Helblindi, to the royal runt.

His parents were not too keen on him visiting his once adoptive family, which offered some comfort to Loki, knowing that he was not the only one unhappy about this. It had been a fantasy of Loki's that when he saw them again, it would not be because he needed to pay respect to the man he had once thought of as his father, completely alienated from Odin, Frigga, and Thor. Alienated from the place and people that had watched him speak his first words and take his first steps. Not that his heart held a place for such sentiments, not him, not at all, but Laufey could never care for him as Frigga would have. And Thor… he was a different matter.

When Loki was torn from Frigga's arms, he promised himself that he would never forget them, that he would hold on to his memories until his dying breath. But centuries had passed, over a thousand years even, and these were different times. Loki could barely remember the one he had called brother, and he wondered. Did Thor remember him? Would he recognize him? Loki doubted it. Even if Thor remembered he had a brother called Loki once, he was Loptr to the world nowadays. Laufey refused to call him by the name Odin had chosen, although Loki made his preference quite clear.

His stomach churned as his head continued to twirl with questions. The most recurrent one being how would it feel to see them again. Could an old wound be reopened after centuries of being sealed?

The walk to the palace would be a tedious one indeed.

~°•°~

The throne room was just as he remembered, as had been the citadel. Mostly. It was comforting.

Except for all the people that had to witness this. A ceremony all so Asgard would not interfere with Jötunheimr’s business. Big deal.

Loki walked slowly towards where Odin sat upon his golden throne, his jaw clenched tight to stop him from grinding his teeth. Loki missed his freedom, and if he had to suffer through these dull, bothersome ceremonies, then everyone around him would do so too.

“Loptr Laufeyjarson.”

He sunk to his knees before Odin just as slowly as he had walked, clasping his hands together. Odin's hands came to cover his, and Loki stared as he watched his hands turn from blue to pink before recovering their natural color. He had forgotten about that. Loki hoped no one had noticed his momentary lapse of concentration, or his mother's words would be sure to give him a headache. A headache that had already begun, bringing Loki back to the present.

“I will become your man from this day forward…” Loki began in a drawl.

~°•°~

A feast. Of course there was a feast, and naturally, Loki had to stay for it. Now, he was not above admitting that it was not the feast in itself what was bothering him, but the amused glances that Odin kept sending his way. To make matters worse, he had to stay on Asgard for another two days, and the heat was already getting to him, but more importantly, did Odin not have more interesting things to look at? Gods.

Staring into his cup of mead, holding it so tightly that frost was spreading along the handle, Loki didn't hear the soft steps approaching him. He was so deep in thought that his brain barely registered the words being spoken to him.

“Why so sullen, my dear? I would have thought you would be happy, if not curious, to see us again.”

Loki turned, rather brusquely he was ashamed to admit, in the direction of the mellifluous voice he had dreamt of so often as a child. A voice to guard him from nightmares, he told himself. His gaze fell upon the Queen of Asgard. Her sparkling eyes and teasing smile sent a hollow feeling through his body. There had been a time in his youth when Loki had loathed her. When Loki had been sent back to Jötunheimr, his nights had been filled by his racing pulse and rapid breath from the fear that he would be eaten, all thanks to Asgardian bedtime stories. And Loki had blamed that on Frigga.

“Your Majesty, how may I be of service?” Loki asked in a velvety voice with a small bow of his head.

“Is that how we greet old friends?”

“That depends on what constitutes an old friend, would you not agree?”

“Seeing as I was present when your nappies were changed, I would count myself one, if not an old acquaintance,” she said with a smile firmly on her face.

Loki arched a brow. “I'm afraid I have very few recollections of my time living in Asgard.”

_Much less of when my nappies were being changed._

“That is a pity.” Her smile did not falter in the slightest. “I was hoping to give you a tour of my garden, seeing as you enjoyed it so much as a babe. I even ordered your favorite pastries to be prepared. While I have no doubt Jötunheimr’s cuisine to be a fine one, Your Majesty, I do claim that Asgardian pastries can be a tad more satisfying.”

Loki could not argue against that. Sugar was a rare thing in Jötunheimr. That had been another hard hit. He cleared his throat. “I would be delighted to accept your offer.”

She reached out to pat his arm as a booming voice ringed through the Great Hall, “Mother!” and Loki tilted his head to look over the Queen’s shoulder.

A muscular man with shoulder-length golden hair and electric blue eyes was approaching them. Had Frigga had another son after his departure, or could this possibly be-

“Thor, my son, come, come.” She gestured for Thor to come closer, which Loki thought was unnecessary as Thor seemed quite determined to speak with them. “I trust you are acquainted with King Loptr?”

And there was that name again. Seriously, could people not see that 'Loki' was more fitting for him?

Thor gave them a beaming smile, and Loki played with the cup in his hand, curious about Thor's reply. “I'm afraid not, Mother.” He turned his smile on Loki, whose gaze was intently drawn to his face. “I do not believe we had the pleasure to meet before.”

Loki trusted his face to remain impassive. He should have known. It had been foolish of him to think that Thor would remember him. Especially not with his crimson eyes and ridged blue skin. One of the last times Loki had been together with Thor was back in the weapons’ vault when his then-brother proclaimed he would slay all the monsters. That had been another hard thing to get over.

Frigga's smile slipped. “Thor, dear-"

“You are right,” Loki interjected. “We have not had the chance to meet with the relationships between our realms as strained as they are. But I trust we can reach an-" Loki licked his lips “- arrangement.”

“Yes. I am sure we will.” Thor's smile broadened. “Mother, if you will excu-"

“Yes, of course,” Frigga said briskly, her expression closed. “I shall see you on the morrow, Loptr.”

She left. Loki had the unmistakable feeling of having done something wrong. Oh, well, what could he do? Loki turned back to Thor from where he had been staring at the place where Frigga disappeared into the crowd.

“It is a pity, truly, to think we could have met sooner. I heard you are only a few centuries younger than myself.”

“And yet I was crowned king before you.”

A prickle of irritation flashed across Thor's face. “That is not a very kind thing to say.”

“Neither is remarking upon a person's age,” Loki said while tilting his cup towards Thor.

“With such a young and handsome face, one could hardly believe you would be offended.” Thor's eyes roamed his face. Loki snorted. “Would you like me to refill your cup?”

“Might as well.”

Loki handed over the cup. A small shudder travelled through Loki's body as his fingers brushed with Thor's, unable to not notice how warm the other's skin was compared to his own. Another thing that did not go unnoticed was Thor's _subtle_ attempt to touch his ass as he left for more mead.

Loki turned back to the crowd, face blank.

~°•°~

Breakfast was a quieter affair although still quite noisy. It was a stark contrast to the silent, almost reverent, shared meals back in Jötunheimr. Loki then proceeded to meet with Queen Frigga at the entrance of her gardens.

It was not the glittering leaves nor the smell of fresh grass that made Loki close his eyes and sniff, though they were a heavenly sight, an alien world even. Loki wanted the sight of all those colors combined burnt into his memory, and those sweet perfumes… would he ever experience it again?

“I hope you have been enjoying yourself, Your Majesty.”

He pried his eyes open. “Certainly. Your gardens are as lovely as I remember, if not more so from time and distance.”

Frigga smiled. “And the feast?”

“Oh, yes. Did you know that the Lady Sif dislikes me just as much even under another name?”

“I cannot fathom why.” She led him deeper into her garden. “How fares the former king?”

Loki gave a small huff. “As irksome and obstinate as ever. Still refuses to call me by my name.”

“Oh?” the Queen inquired.

“Loki. It is the name I go by, including on official papers. Yet he insists on calling me nothing but Loptr. I assume he sent a missive requesting you call me such?”

Frigga hummed softly. “Odin was quite amused. First, we received your letter in which you referred to yourself by your old name and used your old seal. Then, another letter arrived from Laufey explaining your mistake and asking to call you Loptr unless we wanted to offend Jötunheimr.”

“I assure you that was no mistake, Your Majesty,” Loki said adamantly, stopping on his tracks. “Loki continues to be my name and my seal has not changed. I may have been stripped of my freedom, but never of my name.”

“Come, sit with me, child.” Her head tilted towards a table, smiling sadly at him. Norns, it had been centuries. He was an adult now with few memories of her, and yet Loki was helpless when presented with this. He did what was asked of him. “What about your brothers?”

“They are fine. We do not have much problems although they are not too happy about my taking the throne. I believe they are the reason other Jötnar were not hostile towards me as a child.” Why was he being so straightforward? He was not an open person. Was he drugged?

“How did things go with Thor yesterday? It took him some time to get used to your absence.”

Loki watched some birds squawking over space in the water bath, their fluttering wings sent water drops flying to the ground, recalling how his world had disintegrated into blue and white mountains. How weird it had been to find himself no longer the little brother, but older than his twice-his-height so-called brothers. How odd that he was the one to be protected while being the oldest. How strange that he did not have someone to chase after anymore.

His parents tried to make the crystalline palace of Jötunheimr feel like home, but somehow they always managed to come up short. It had not taken that long to see that what his wet nurse said about the Jötnar was not true; nonetheless, their traditions and lifestyles were something with which Loki did not feel entirely comfortable. It took Loki years to accept his family's affection, and by the time he did, he had gained a reputation for being cold and austere.

Loki did not feel at home in Jötunheimr.

~°•°~

Now that Laufey was no longer king, Asgard was willing to resume trade with Jötunheimr, Odin let Loki know that day at lunch. He did not strictly say it like that, but it was obvious that was what he wanted to say, Loki understood.

Odin began the conversation with a curt apology for having to take some time out of Loki's day and view of the city (Thor had been rambling about all they could do on Loki's last day in Asgard before they, most sadly, had to part ways. Loki agreed with him on the last part). Then, he explained how Asgard was in need of some minerals Jötunheimr could provide and heavily hinted at how beneficial it would be for the realm to resume trade with Asgard. With the approval of the Golden Realm, others would not be so hesitant to trade with the Jötnar. Loki had to agree, and so Thor decided they would visit the marketplace. Which is how Loki came to be standing at the entrance of it .

But first, let us not skip another important piece of conversation. Why did Thor not know that Loki had once been his brother? No clue.

After Thor left for training, Loki asked Odin what had been said about his departure, if not death. Odin (who was still calling him Loptr, dammit) replied that the younger prince's origins were made public, meaning that the Æsir knew that Odin and Frigga's second son was actually a Jötunn who had been, as requested by Laufey, returned to his blood family and was now king. Apparently, that was why Æsir merchants did not mind trading with the Jötnar once more. So, why Thor did not recognize him, or acted like he did not, was as much a mystery to Odin as it was for Loki and Frigga.

Fandral mistook Loki's scrunched up face of concentration at the memory of last day's lunch for one of annoyance, teasing him about how the delicate skin of a Jötunn could not stand the sunlight. Thor, idiot that he was, tried to defend him. That was what annoyed Loki. He did not come here for this.

Loki walked towards the tents, Thor and the Warriors Three following close behind him. It was supposed to be only him and Thor, but the Warriors Three tagged along like they always did back when they were children. The difference was that now Thor was also irritated about this, and luckily, they lost them in the crowd a few minutes later.

There were a few tents Loki wanted to visit, certain that the businesses were still standing, but first he had to see what could be useful for Jötunheimr, so they began by looking over the food section. Most of the younger vendors, who had grown up with stories of children-eating Jötnar, offered him higher prices than they would other realms. Loki knew because not even Vanaheimr asked that much. To his surprise, Thor began to argue about the price, requesting the standard one. Loki had not expected Thor to be aware of such things.

“Do I have something on my face?” Thor frowned. Loki startled at the realization that he had been staring. Part of him wanted to say yes, to bring the pad of his fingerprints to that golden face, but no.

“I-I got distracted.”

Thor nodded, steering Loki towards another tent. “Let us try over here. I believe my father will be pleased to know you are looking over your options. He likes to be done with treaties quickly.”

Loki looked over the fruits and vegetables on display, complimenting the lady behind the stand. She preened under his attention, fluttering her eyelashes and smiling shyly. Loki asked if they would be interested in exporting their goods to which she answered that she needed to wait for her father before giving him an answer. Loki had a good feeling about her.

Suddenly, Loki was jerked to one side. “Come, Loptr, let us move on,” Thor grumbled.

“I shall be back before closing, my lady,” Loki called back, seeing her nod from the corner of his eye. Thor continued to pull Loki by the hand. “That was quite rude, Thor.”

“Anything else interests you?” Thor asked. It sounded forced out.

Loki matched Thor's long strides, hands joined together. Thor's warmth was too nice to pass on. “I am afraid everything here is too small for an average sized Jötunn. Even the food. We trade for it born out of necessity, not practicality. I dare say we eat more than an Asgardian at a feast.”

“Even you?” Thor teased.

“Of course not me. What would I do with all that food, hmm?”

Laughing, Thor bumped their shoulders together. “What about you?”

“Me? Thor, I cannot afford to spend gold on myself.”

“You misunderstand. I would like to gift you something to remember me by.”

Loki snickered. “You speak like we will never see each other again. Or is it because we just 'met', and you fear you will not be of import?”

“It would not be the first time. You remind me of my little brother. He left for Jötunheimr and never came back," Thor said sadly.

“Oh, Thor, you-"

“Not that I think of you like a brother. That would be disturbing. No brotherly feelings, I assure you,” Thor stammered.

Resting his head lightly on Thor's shoulder, Loki sighed. “Thor,” Loki began, but his train of thought was lost when a cacophony of animal noises reached his ears. “Thor, look!” Loki pulled on the other's arms until they reached the tent where the noises were coming from.

A table covered in a white cloth stood at the front. It was covered with animal figurines made of wood, crystal, and stone. They were producing a myriad of sounds and, although he could not test it out here in the sunlight, Loki knew that they shone in the dark, just like he knew that with the right spells, they could be used for communication. Picking up a snake figurine, he told Thor his idea.

“And you could do it?”

“But of course!” Loki gasped, acting offended. After scanning the table, he decided that he would take the snake.

“That one?” Thor took out a red pouch, handing some gold coins to the vendor and picking a snake equal to Loki's for himself. “When we were children, my brother turned into a snake. He was a shapeshifter, you see. And he knew I love snakes, so I went to pick it up. Then, he shifted back, and he stabbed me.” Thor's face twisted, and Loki chuckled. That was a good memory.

“It is a shame Jötunheimr does not have anything akin to a snake.”

Thor nodded.

As they left, Loki watched a woman giving them a look that Loki had no doubt meant that she thought something was very wrong with them. Whether it was due to the story in itself or the fact that Thor was retelling it to Loki like he was not the brother in the story, Loki did not know.

~°•°~

Before leaving the marketplace, Thor pointed out a book stand to Loki. Loki's eyes fell upon the illusions and shape shifting section, his favorite one, and he walked straight to it. Loki could not see how he could improve his shape shifting, and he would begrudgingly admit that there was always something to improve about an illusion, but Loki hardly believed someone could be better at them than him. But the thing about illusions was that every realm had a different way of producing them. Loki did not remember how Asgardian sorceresses made theirs, but he recalled their method was easier than Jötunheimr’s, which Loki found ironic seeing as the Jötnar had a greater affinity for seidr.

Loki left the book stand with a spring to his steps, one hand holding Thor's and the other hugging the book close to him. All in all, he was having a nice time until the Warriors Three almost crashed into them. Brutes that they were, the Warriors thought Thor and Loki lost them by mistake. What a joke. Exasperation flooded his veins at their smiling faces. It slightly abated at the knowledge that Thor felt the same.

The good spirit Loki had from his time with Thor was further drawn through the mud after entering his chamber to a tirade from his Jötunn party. He was getting too chummy with Asgard’s heir, accepting gifts like it was a courtship, he had responsibilities, blah, blah, blah.

And how many times did he have to tell them not to call him Loptr?

Loki was ready to jump out of the window when someone knocked on the door. Pointing at the doors, eyebrows raised, Loki asked, “Am I allowed to take that?”

The Jötunn who began their pleasant conversation bowed and responded, “Of course, my liege.”

Loki huffed and jerked the door open. A young guard greeted him from the other side. The flash of fear on his face was unmistakable. Loki would give him credit for the determination that quickly covered it, but honestly? Loki thought he looked ridiculous.

“King Odin is ready to receive you. If you will please follow me, I will lead you to where he waits.”

“Very well.” Sighing, Loki signaled for two Jötnar to follow him, one of them being, unfortunately, the one who had ruined his mood. The guard aborted a motion to protest, snapping his mouth shout, and turned to lead the way. Irritation prickled through Loki's skin. He had been having such a good day.

~°•°~

The gilded doors opened to reveal a gilded table. Odin stood behind it with a beaming Thor by his side. What was with the Æsir and gold?

“Loptr, I hope you do not mind. I brought my son Thor along. As the next king of Asgard, it is high time he learns the finer aspects of ruling.” He sent Thor a reproachful look. Thor frowned.

Loki did not mind, not at all. He thought things would be more interesting, more fun, like this, but he could feel the Jötnar's dislike coming off of them in waves. Luckily, with their stoic faces, Odin and Thor should not be able to sense it. Loki smirked. “No objections on my part.”

Odin spread his hand, meaning for him to take a seat. How long would this take? Hopefully not as long as it took to draft a treaty with Vanaheimr.

Loki wondered if his brothers were not better equipped for the throne.

~°•°~

Ignoring his fellow’s scowls, Loki had managed to sit in front of Thor. The table, not being too wide, permitted Loki to extend one long leg to brush up and down over Thor's throughout the course of the meeting. Thor had startled at first, earning a frown from Odin, but soon turned his face impassive, giving no sign of noticing Loki's ministrations. But Loki could tell Thor was enjoying it.

It felt like hours had passed when Odin finally asked, “All parties agree upon these terms?” and the Jötnar nodded their agreement. Odin swiftly stamped the document with his seal and passed it to Loki to do the same.

Thor glanced at the document, presumably wanting to see Loki's seal, but instead saw something that should not be. “Why do you have Loki's seal?” he demanded.

The Jötnar shot up from where they had been sitting on the floor, the chairs naturally being too small to support them. “You dare call our king by that foul name?” guess which one roared at Thor.

His face furious, Odin turned to Thor in a whip-like manner. “What have you done, boy?” he shouted in Thor's face.

“Father, that is Loki's seal right there.” He pointed at the document, his eyes gleaming with determination and what Loki suspected was fury. Honestly, if Odin had wanted to avoid something like this, he should have told Thor who ‘Loptr' was. How curious, Loki thought. But then, Loki supposed, his trip to Asgard would have been very dull indeed. “What mockery is this?” Thor slammed his hands on the table.

Loki jolted upright when he realized the question was being directed at him. His people immediately went to 'defend his honor', but Loki raised a hand. It was alright. He exhaled. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I would like to remind you that my name is indeed Loki. My brothers call me so, and none at court except my parents call me Loptr.” The two Jötnar looked mutinous but did not interrupt him. Back to Odin and Thor, Loki said, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for upholding my parents' wishes, but this has gone long enough. As you can see, I continue to carry the name you gave me.”

Thor's expression turned to one of complete bewilderment while some of the tension slipped out of Odin’s shoulder. Loki doubted it would have been noticeable if he had not been Odin's son for the majority of his childhood. It was amazing how many things he remembered about his old family after all this time. That was one lie Loki had told Frigga, perhaps even himself, that he did not remember, but she had seen straight through it. Like she always had.

Loki rolled up the sleeve that protected his skin from the sun (damn Fandral) and showed it to Thor. There, against his otherwise flawless blue skin, shone a scar almost as old as him. Thor's name was etched on his arm, and, if Thor did the same, Loki's own name would be found staring up at him.

Thor gaped like a fish out of water, the information being too much for him to process, it seemed. Loki snickered. He did not know he had missed seeing that look on Thor's face, but, most of all, being the cause of it. And time had not changed that.

Loki hoped he would have a million more opportunities to turn the other man’s world upside down in the future.


End file.
